The Mocking Jay: Squad 500
by thealligator2012
Summary: The story of D13's most elite squad from the ending of Catching Fire and runs parallel to Mocking Jay. Expect pretty much everyone from Catching Fire and Mocking Jay to pop up at some point or another. R&R please people. Gonna rate M for safety.
1. Chapter 1

**The Mocking Jay:**

**Squad 500**

Deep cover; It's what we specialise in. Hidden deep behind Capitol lines, watching, waiting, seeing everything without been seen. We slip in, hind for days maybe weeks at a time before returning back home deep underground in District 13. I enjoyed being outside despite the danger of it all. Over the years many have been caught and taken to the Capitol's torture chambers, so far the number had gone down greatly. Maybe the Capitol is convinced we're no longer a threat and just let us do what we want. After all we're just watching and rarely enter any of the other districts. That or we're so good now we can avoid detection all together.

This time of year everyone is too busy preparing for the Games. In the districts they are too busy worrying about if their child will be picked or not. In the Capitol the poor, absent minded, shallow but somewhat hilariously looking people get excited about what will happen in the Games and this year is a biggie, the Quarter Quell. It's the 3rd one to be exact; celebrating 75years of this barbaric punishment.

Me and my partner Steel are camped out in the outskirts of District 7's main population centre, hidden in the thinning, winter trees with our custom made camouflage suits we are totally invisible from 1km away. I hold my long range rifle firmly into my shoulder and peer through the scope. Steel is looking through his Mono-scope. We're meant to be watching Peacekeeper patterns and the people's reaction to the Hunger Games announcements. People are gathered in the main square big screens light up; it's show time. The screen lights up with the seal on it, that pants sounding anthem and then the ugly git that is President Snow. I just wish I could pull the trigger and put a bullet through his face right now. 1 shot, 1 kill, 1 nation reunited. But unfortunately he isn't there; he's a few hundred kilometres away in his big fancy mansion. One day I might get the chance to do it, but not just yet.

Snow babbles on a bit the same old tat, the dark days, the hints that he could wipe out any district just like he did to mine. And then comes the time to open the envelope. He opens it and declares that the tributes for these games will be drawn from previous victors. The crowd within the square looks like it's frozen in time. A matter of minutes later our communication equipment comes to life.

'13 to Echo 500, come in over.'

'This is Echo 500, we read you, over.'

'Echo 500, you are to return to base. A hovercraft will pick you up at the following co-ordinates.' The operator replied.

'Message received and understood. We will move after last light, 13 have the 'craft pick us up then.' I replied.

'Best of luck Echo 500 and Tungsten stay safe. I miss you. 13 out.'

'I miss you too Alpena, Echo 500 out.' I answer, before turning to Steel, 'we've got new orders friend, and we are pulling out tonight.'

'Bit soon isn't it? Normally we hang around for a day or two after the announcement.' Steel replied.

'I know all I can think is that it's to do with Snow's announcement. Its ruffled some feathers back at 13, anyway make sure you have everything to hand and get ready to move as the light starts to fade.' I answered.

We lay in our hide for the remaining hours it took for light to fall, which in winter didn't take that long but it was cold and getting more so by the time we had to move. I'd have loved to move quickly but the increased amount of Peace Keeper patrols meant we had to move slowly to avoid detection. We moved away slowly and cautiously at first being so close to the town. 45minutes it took us to travel a kilometre; taking slow creeping steps and dropping to out bellies at the slightest bit noise, holding our breath for what seems like lifetimes before daring to let it out again and rising to our feet.

We soon reached wood land that was still fairly thick, huge soaring evergreens touched the cloudy sky above us, our pace quickened as the snow started to fall just a few flakes coming through the thick canopy above us. We neared our pick up point, all was still and quiet. You could hear the snow falling to the ground as it glided on the light wind. A little voice chirped in my ear; '1 minute Echo 500.'

We'd never hear the Hovercraft until it was on top of us and even then we wouldn't see it as the invisibility cloak would be turned on. I turned on the night vision gear and looked through my scope, scanning the clearing and its edges. Nothing was moving, it was too still, usually there would be some form of animal scurrying about. Something was amiss but I couldn't tell what. Steel looked at me with the same concerned look; we'd both done this a few times before and knew something was strange.

The hover craft swung in low over the tree tops, making them bend into the air currents and created a small blizzard, the cloak was still up. It came into a low hover, we made the short sprint to it, a door swung open revealing the uncloaked inside illuminated in red. Members of the crew half hung out the door, arms out stretched ready for us. I leapt up at the open door my hand grabbing a crew member's forearm as he did the same with mine and hauled me in. Steel and I crouched on the floor of the hold as the craft turned as it banked away towards 13. The crew member that had hauled Steel in went to shut the door when I saw a small glint of light in the trees.

'Hold that door!' I cried and pulled my rifle up into my shoulder and aimed down the night scope, I caught sight of the glint again and zoomed in a bit, and there clear as day in a dark green tint was a Peace Keeper with a rocket launcher. I fire immediately, the bang echoed around the small hold space making the crew jump, more Peace Keepers appeared in my scope and fired more shots out the open door. Steel didn't even flinch.

'Pilot; get us out of here, Peace Keepers!' he screamed joining me in firing on the Peace Keepers. The Hover craft banked and rolled violently as he dodged multiple rockets before settling into a very fast flight along a roundabout route back to home which took us 5 hours instead of the usual 2. We touched down in the hanger back at 13 and disembarked. Cobalt and Nickel were there to meet us; they looked the hover craft with curious looks. 'Ok who did you piss off?' Cobalt asked.

'7's Peace Keepers. How they knew we were there I have no clue. They popped off a few rockets at us.' I explained.

'We bagged a few of them though. Tungsten got a fantastic head shot on the snap. No breath, out the door of the hover craft as we were banking.' Steel bragged with a huge smile.

'Really?' Nickel asked sarcastically, knowing Steel's tendency for over exaggerating things.

'Yeah,' I begin, 'I saw something in the forest, just a glint of light and upon looking it was a PK with a rocket launcher, I pulled the trigger. Not sure if it hit him or not though.'

'You sure did buddy, right down the scope!' Steel cried.

'Ok, tell it to us in the morning. Go get scrubbed up and get some sleep, things are about to really hot up big time.' Cobalt ordered sternly. Steel and I did as instructed and hit the showers scrubbing the grim of 7 off us and then hit collapsed into our beds finding sleep almost instantly. I cant speak for Steel but I all that run though my dreams was how many times it could have gone wrong back there. A hundred different scenarios played through, in all of them we either went up in a fireball or were executed by Peace Keeps live on Panem TV.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

I aroused fairly late, about 10 in the morning. Stuck my arm in the slot and got my time table for today. Late breakfast at half past, time to shower now, debrief and then training sessions punctuated with late lunches and evening meals. I kicked Steel up, literally, 'get up'. He grumbled and groaned into life whilst I hit the showers. He wobbled in 10mintues later as I was drying off.

_3... 2... 1... and scream._ Steel screamed as the ice cold water assaulted his dazed body. I chuckled to myself, he always does it. Every single time and it still cracks me up. 'Cold in there Steel?'

'No, nice and refreshing. Wakes you up in the morning!' he called, 'should try it. Actually forget that, it'll make your already small cock shrink so small Alpena will never find it!'

I let him have his chuckle and let him think he was the big guy, before I hit him with a comeback. 'Well Steel I will tell you, I have had NO complaints from her and you should be worried about shrinkage yourself' I answered flipping the hot water valve to off sending ice cold water pouring over him. I left leaving him to screech, swear and shiver in the freezing torrent and allowing myself a little evil chuckle. I returned to our room and changed ready for the day. Steel came in shivering; I couldn't help but smile. He muttered a string of insults while I sat sniggering at him. 'Ah quit your moaning. You'd have done the exact same to me.' I said putting my arm around him as we walked to the mess hall.

It was quiet in the mess hall, not many people had a late breakfast. There were young Soldier recruits eating after going on a night time exercise laughing and jeering about who fell over what and into what. 'Sounds like someone fell in the shit pit again.' Steel mumbled.

'You fell in it when we did our basic training.' I commented.

'Yeah I did. Then you fell the next time we went out.'

'Try you threw me in it you ass.' I complained.

Steel started chuckling, 'yeah that's right I did, fun times.'

We finished breakfast and headed for a very boring debriefing session which lasted way longer than necessary. I was finally happy to get out for some fresh air and a chance to hit the range. Being in one of the elite squads on the operation roster we get free choice of what training we carried out either as a squad or as individuals. I collected my rifle and headed onto the range. Some basic recruits where on, the instructor was shouting doubly loud to make sure he was heard it must have been their first time. Normally after a few times you settled in and knew what was expected of them.

I stood at the back and watched as the young Soldiers were slightly overwhelmed by the new sensation of firing a live loaded rifle. The simulators where good but they didn't replicate the jump quite right nor the smell of the fired bullets. Another volley cracked off deafening Tungsten. _Or the volume,_ he thought grabbing a pair of ear defenders. Steel ambled over taking sips of water from his bottle.

'Takes you back don't it?' he commented.

'Yeah. Your still a shit shot. In fact that one in lane 4 who has only had one glancing hit is better than you.' I teased, 'that's why your my spotter and I'm the shooter.'

'Fuck you.'

The recruits finished up and did their safety checks. Making sure their rifles where cleared. They formed up and cleared the range. Steel asked the range controller to put targets up at 500, 600, 700 and 800meters. I lay down on the range in my lucky bay and started to lower my breathing and heart rate down. Steel lay next to me and peered through his mono-scope.

'Target 500meters, wind left right, 3knots. Temperature 5degrees.' Steel muttered. I adjusted my scope to compensate for the wind and distance.

'Shooter ready.' I mumbled.

'Send it.' He half sniggered. I half pulled the trigger, just taking in the slack and the target moved and kept moving, then stopped and moved back again. I glanced at Steel. He was half disappointed that I didn't pull the trigger and miss.

'1st shots are meant to be static for the shooter to warm up.' I reminded him.

'I know, but when's that going to happen in the field? I'm just adding realism. Shooter ready?' I didn't even wait to respond I fired and nailed the target. Perfect head shot.

'And that is what you can do if you practice Soldiers. A moving target like that is no problem to you.' The Instructor and his class must have hung on for a little while so they could see me shoot.

'Instructor you think your class would like to see what happens if they work really hard and maybe have a little bit of luck on your side?' Steel asked.

'What do you think Soldiers, shall we see what these top shots can do?' the Instructor asked his class. Of course the answer was yes.

Steel asked the range controller for a 1000meter target, with 'civilians' moving around the target. He then trained his scope on the target.

'Steel you're a huge dick.' I complained as the targets popped up at the farthest extremes of the range.

'Soldiers, grab some binoculars this is a long shot and watch Soldier Tungsten at his best.' Steel bragged.

'Steel even on a warm day, with no wind this is tough.'

'After the shot last night I believe you could do this in the middle of night, during a thunder storm, from the hold of a in flight hovercraft.' Steel reassured me.

We went through our whole routine again, I slowed my breathing down again. 'Shooter ready.'

'Ok. Send it.' He ordered.

I waited a second and let lose the shot. The civilian targets had just moved in front of the one I wanted to hit. They cleared the target just as my bullet slammed home right in the middle of the chest. I let out the breath I was holding and looked at Steel then the Class behind me. They all looked amazed. 'That one was mostly luck' I smiled.


End file.
